Shipping box and crate



Nov. 7, 1950 A. R. ROSS SHIPPING BOX AND CRATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1944 NVENTOR. Off

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Nov. 7, 1950 A. R. ROSS 2,528,551

SHIPPING BOX AND CRATE Filed Oct. 30, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR flLLE/Y P. Pas;

vwibfl ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITIEYDI- STATES PATENT'FOFFICE SHIPPING BOX AND CRATE Allen R. Ross, Benton, Wash. Application October so, 1944, Serial No. 560,944

ticularly to crates and boxes designed for the repeated shipment of products therein and for the storage of products,'and which are of a construction that adapts them, when empty, to be nested.

together-for convenience in storage, or for return shipment, and which are equipped with novel means that provides that they may be stacked, one upon the other without nesting, when filled.

More specifically stated, the present invention relates toimprovements in crates'or boxes, which may be made quite economicallylfrom plywood or the like, with their opposite side and end walls downwardly and inwardly inclined as necessary for the desired nesting'of unfilled boxes, and wherein certain novel frames or supports are arranged for adjustment from what may be referred to as their non-functional or nesting position, to their functional or supporting positions to prevent, when inthe latter position, the nesting of the crates and to provide for their being stacked one upon the other without damage to their contents;

It is the principal object of this invention to provide stacking frames for such crates that are relatively simple in construction, and relatively inexpensive, and designed to be associated directly with a crate for the support thereon of a similar crate without nesting, and in such manner that all weight of the supported crate. will be transmitted to the bottom of the crate and its side walls will not be required to sustain it, as has been the case in the past.

More definitely stated, the objects of the present invention reside in the provision of a box, or crate, having a bottom wall and opposite side walls, forming a downwardly tapered container andwherein, at the ends of each box are supports bearing on the box bottom and adaptedto be adjusted from outwardly inclined positions at which they permit the nesting of boxes, to inwardly inclined positions where they will serve as supports for a superimposed box.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to so arrange the movable stacking supports in a box that no weight of supported boxes will be transmitted downwardly against the side walls of any box lower in a stack.

Other objects of the invention are to be found in the provisionof boxes or crates of the character above stated having end walls which are adjustable from inclined positions at which they permit the nesting of boxes, to substantially upright positions at which they will serve as supports for the stacking of boxes in accordance with the objects of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in combination with the stacking supports whereby the extent of nesting may be limited and wedging of boxes together eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide boxes or crates of the above character wherein provision is'made for gaining access to the inside of stacked boxes through an end wall opening Without necessitating the removal of any box from the stack in which it is contained.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel construction of the stacking supports and in the means for and manner of pivotally or hingedly afiixing them inplace in a box. i

Still other objects reside in the various details of construction and combination of parts, and in the mode ofuse of the boxes or crates as willhereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinbodied by the present invention; a part of the adjacent side wall being broken away and an end wall being, shown in section for better understanding of construction and better illustration of one of the stackingframes as disposed within the end of the box.

, Fig. 2'is a cross section of the crate taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side View of one of the stacking frames.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical section through the end portions of two nested boxes, illustrating the disposition of the stacking frames when'the boxes are nested.

Fig. 5 is a top, or plan view of the end portion of one of the boxes showing the stacking frames ,adjusted to functional position preparatory to Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the endwall panels of the box of Fig. 6, showing it as equipped with a door.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an attaching clip for the ,hinging of the end panel.

Explanatory to the present invention, it will.

here be mentioned that boxes or crates of a similar character and adapted to be nested and stacked, have heretofore. been in usefibut to my knowledge, where stacking was accomplished,

certain specific forms of stacking irons have been j employed; such irons, being extended between opposite side walls of the crate and arranged to rest upon the top edges of or within notches formed in the top edges of the opposite side walls.. 1;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a box, or crate em- The present invention embodies novel features Lin the means of support for stacked boxes and provides for the transmittal 'of the weight of superimposed boxes-directlyto the bottom of the next lower box, and thereby relieves the side walls of the boxes of all direct weight, thus per- 'mitting less expensive construction than other-" for each frame II], that are adapted to receive I the out-turned portions [4-44 when the frame LII Wise is required, and without detrimenttothe sufficiency-of the support.

Referring more in detail to the drawingsin Fig. 1: This has a rectangular bottom wall I, opposite side walls 2 and 2a and oppositeend walls 3 and 3a. I I

The two opposite side walls 2 and Zaand also the opposite end walls 3 and 3a are inclined symmetrically to provide the necessary downprevent wedging of boxes one within another. Such supports as herein provided will presently be described.

One of the preferred means for stacking crates of this character has been illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5.1 In this disclosure, each crate is equipped closely within each of its opposite end Walls with a hingedly attached stacking frame, designated in its entirety by reference character I 5. Each frame, as observed best in Fig. 3, comprisesa stiff, metallic rod, bent to form a horizontal bot-v tom cross member II, with rigid upwardly directed arms I2 and I2 at its opposite ends; Also, there is a horizontal cross rod I3 extended between and welded at its ends to the upper end portions of the arms I2--I2; and arms I2 and I2 having outwardly directed portions I 3-I4' at their upper ends. For additional strength, I have provided vertical brace rods II5 between the cross rods II and I3 and these are welded in place. V

The frames Ill are of such dimensions that they may be located within the crate ends, transversely thereof and closely adjacent the inside faces of the end walls, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 4. The width of the frames is such that the arms I2 and I2 will lie closely adjacent the side walls 2 and 2a as observed in- Fig. 2 in which itis also shown that the cross bar II rests flatly upon the fioor I and that thecross bar I3 is set down somewhat below the upper ends of the arms I2 "and I2 so that the latter will retain a supported box against lateral displacement while the end walls of the supporting box retain the supported box against endwise slippage.

the frame is contained for'limited vertical lifting.

It is observed that the out-turned portions I l-l4 at the upperends of the arms I2I2' areadapted to be selectively located within paired upwardly. opening notches in the top edges of the idewalls; there being one set of notches-I8 is disposed in its non-functional position; that is, when disposed flatly {against the ,corresponding end wall, as shown 'in Fig; 1. -Also, there is another set of notches, lBa, for each frame, spaced inwardly from the end Wall, to seat the outwardly turned portions I4I4 therein when the frame is in its supporting or functional po- 1 First, considering the box of that kind shown a sition, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The

height of the frame and the depth ofthe notches is such that the parts I4I4 cannot rest in the bases of the notches; therefore, any weight sustained by the frames in the supportof a box upon the'cross members I3 of the frames, willbe transmitted through the arms l'2-I2' and braces A 5-15, to the cross bar II and directly to the floor of the crate'against which the bar I I bears.

It is also to be noted that the channels II containing the cross, bars are of such vertical height as to permit the frame to be lifted to clear the parts I4 and I4 from one set of notches for disposition in the other set.

If it should be desired, the material between the notches I8 and H311 could be cut away, thus to permit swinging of the frame from one position-to the other. In such case, provision for lifting the frame would not be required.

Assuming the crates or boxes and frames to be 7 so constructed and arranged, it is quite apparent that when it is desired to stack one box upon and above the other, as indicated in Fig. 2, it is only necessary that the stacking frames of the lower box be disposed in that position at which the outturned feet I l-I4 are registered in the paired notches I8a. Then a box may be disposed upon the cross bars I3 of the two frames and all weight of that box will be sustained through theframes by the floor of the lower box.

For nesting the crates, it is only necessarythat the frames I I] first be disposed in positionsagainst the end walls, and the crates assembled as in Fig. 4. 'It is desirable however that nesting should not be to an extent that will result in the boxes becoming wedged together. Therefore, to prevent this, I affix'angle strips 20 to the vertical, as seen in Fig. 4, against which the nested box will engage and be supported before wedging takes place.

In the structure that has been illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10, the box is of a construction similar to that of Fig. 1, except that the end walls are movable relative to the side walls for inward and outward hinging action like that of the frames III, and the frames III are eliminated; the end walls themselves serving as the stacking means.

As noted best in Fig. 9, each end wall 3x has two transversely spaced rectangular openings 25 7 through its bottom edge portion and clips 26, fixed to the top side of the bottom wall, have prongs 21 bent to pass through the wall openings to hingedly attach the wall in the box. The lower edges of the hinged end walls bear directly against the bottom wall and their upper edge portions are designed to rest against cross cleats 3o, extending between the upper corners of opposite side walls.

Each end wall 3.1: has lateral extension lugs 35 at its'upper corners adapted to be received in notches 36 and 36a. in the top edges of the side walls, correspondingto the'n'otches I8 and I8a. of the structure already described; In use, the hinged end walls when adjusted to their inwardly inclined positions, serve as stacking supports, by

resting the superimposed box directly thereon,-

and it is preferred that the top edges of these walls be recessed, as seen at 40 in Fig. 9, to retain the supported box against lateral slippage.

The openings 25 are of such vertical depth that the end walls may be lifted to clear the stops from the notches for wall adjustment from one position to another. Boxes may be nested, when these end Walls are in their outwardly adjusted positions, as in Fig. 8, and the extent of nesting may be limited to prevent wedging, by affixing cleats 42 across the inner sides of the walls, as noted in Fig. 8.

In order that access may be had to stacked boxes or crates, a hinged door, as shown at 43 in Fig. 9, may be provided in an end wall, or a sliding panel may be used if this is preferred.

Boxes and crates of this kind may be made in various sizes and for various purposes, and due to the provision of the hinged end walls, or end frames, they may be stacked, or nested by proper adjustment of the end walls or frames. Also, when stacked, no weight is applied to the side walls but is transmitted to the box bottoms and no bulging or distortion results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A crate of rectangular form, having inwardly inclined side and end walls and a bottom wall less in width and length than the open top, flat transverse stacking frames located within the crate and disposed flatly against the respective end Walls thereof and engaged at their lower ends against the bottom wall and movable at their upper ends toward each other to a spacing less than the spacing between them at their lower ends, said side walls having recesses therein extending away from the end walls and said frames having projecting portions contained in said recesses and adapted to engage with the ends thereof to limit the extent of swinging movement of said frames.

2. A crate of rectangular form having inwardly inclined side and end walls and a bottom of less Width and length than the open top, flat transverse stacking frames located within the crate and disposed flatly against the respective end Walls thereof for the nesting of a second crate therein, said stacking frames being adapted to be swung at their upper ends away from the end walls and having laterally extended edge portions at their upper ends and said side walls having notches opening to the top edges thereof to selectively receive the said laterally extended portions of the frames therein to retain the frames closeli adjacent the end walls or at a distance spaced therefrom suitable for the stacking of a second crate on the frames and means retaining the lower ends of the frames adjacent the end walls but permitting the limited lifting of the frames.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein each of the stacking frames comprises a bottom cross bar that normally bears against the crate bottom wall, upright opposite side legs extended upwardly from the ends of the bottom bar and a cross rail connecting the legs below their upper ends and below the top edges of the side walls of the crate.

ALLEN R. ROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,308,036 Boyd July 1, 1919 1,982,367 Brown Nov. '7, 1934 2,026,204 Andrews Dec. 21, 1935 2,087,944 Brown July 27, 1937 2,293,966 Best Aug. 25, 1942 2,395,542 Fordon Feb. 26, 1946 I FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 374,225 Great Britain June 9, 1932 

